Startin Young first anniversary

StartinYoung, the driving education programme to prepare under-17s for their first on-the-road lesson, is celebrating its first year at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground that has seen non-stop demand for the sessions held on the first Sunday of every month. Among the many youngsters to benefit from the lessons with fully-qualified driving instructors in dual-control cars was Annabelle Davis, daughter of actor and TV presenter, Warwick Davis.

Annabelle, 16, who lives with her parents and brother near Peterborough, took to the roads on the proving ground with instructor Lorraine Young in her automatic driving school car for what proved to be an exhilarating and highly-educational session for the youngster who will soon be applying for her provisional driving licence.

Since opening at Bruntingthorpe – where the extensive road network and areas of wide-open Tarmac provide the safe and ideal environment for driving instruction – StartinYoung has attracted youngsters from a wide catchment area including Leicester, Market Harborough, Peterborough, Nuneaton, Rugby, Daventry and Lutterworth. Parents can watch their teenagers from the comfort of a coffee lounge during the hour-long sessions.

StartinYoung was established at Pershore in Worcestershire almost three years ago by professional driving instructors Malcolm and Hina Dalley, Lorraine Young and Peter Leach, who is chairman of the Worcester & District Driving Instructors’ Association.

Peter says the addition of Bruntingthorpe to extend the programme’s reach to youngsters preparing to learn to drive has proved highly successful. “And remember that StartinYoung is not just for under-17s. For anyone nervous about starting to drive, the scheme is excellent for building confidence in a safe environment. Those waiting for a licence as a result of epilepsy or other medical conditions can start their driving straight away with StartinYoung and Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground. Customers have said some lovely things about our under-17 driving scheme.”

Mark Evans, who brought his daughters – Jordan, 16, and Courtney, 13 – said: “What a fantastic day! Both were excited, but understandably apprehensive, before they started driving. But within a few minutes of getting in the car and having the basics explained to them they were off and driving. I can’t recommend this super-professional and friendly organisation highly enough. And Bruntingthorpe is a fantastic venue. Brilliant!”

Dean Stocks added: “Jonny really enjoyed his first session with StartinYoung and is looking forward to further lessons up to his 17th birthday in November. He particularly liked the ‘open road’ layout at Bruntingthorpe.”

Information

Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire offers a wide range of facilities and services for the automotive, defence, construction and aviation sectors. The hugely flexible site is used for vehicle test and development, vehicle storage, vehicle refurbishment and events, including corporate hospitality. The location is also perfect for film & location hire and is currently the largest privately owned vehicle test track facility in the UK.